Fabricated metallic structure



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A. A. BERND? f FABRI CATED METALLI C STRUCTURE Filed April 5 1924 Patented ec. 16, 1924.

UNTED STATES PATENT orifice.

ARTHUR A. BERNDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 KURZ BROS. CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FABRICATED METALLIC STRUCTURE.

Application filed April 5, A11.924.. Serial No. 704,317.

To @ZZ ctv/1.0m it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. BEHNDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabricated Metallic Structures, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to fabricated metallic structures, and more particularly to structures in the general nature of wire fabrics. The princiual object of the invention is to provide a metallic structure of the type referred to that shall be adapted to, and capable of, a considerable variety of uses, such as to form the reticulated bottom of bottle crates and like articles, to constitute a metal reinforcement for concrete structures, to serve as a practical form of wire fencing, and, in general, to satisfactorily serve the oiiice of any structure wherein aplurality of spaced and rigidly connected wires are employed.

My invention, its novel structural features, and the advantages inhering therein will be readily understood and appreciated by persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying` drawing in which I have illustrated a practical and preferred embodiment of the principle of the invention, and wherein- F ig. l is a top plan view of my improved metallic structure;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation, in cross-section through the wires on the line 2-*2 0f Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 4--4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of Fig. l showing the parts before the final operation by which the wires are gripped and clamped in place;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the raw stock or blank from which the spacing strip is made;

Fig. 8 is a similar view after the same has been shaped and prepared for the reception of the wires; and

Fig. 9 is an edge elevation of Fig. 8. showing the wires inserte'd and ready for the final operation of the dies by which the wires are gripped and clamped in position.

Referring to the drawings, A designates each of a group of wires disposed in parallel relation in a common plane, and B2 designates each of-a series of transverse spacing strips by which the wires A are rigidly clamped and held in spaced relation, To form the spacing strip B2, a blank B, Fig. 7, of thin flat sheet metal is subjected to the cutting and compressive action of suitable dies, by which it is first given the form B shown in Figs. S and 9. By the action of the dies longitudinally spaced portions of the strip are first slitted on the parallel lines l0 (Fig. 8), which divides these portions into a central portion ll and side portions l2, and .the central portion 1l and side portions 12 are offset on opposite sides of the general plane of the strip throughout their entire length, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. By the same operation of the dies the portions of the strip between the slitted and Oifset portions already described are pressed into the transversely arched form 13, as clearly shown in the cross-sectional view Fig. 5, the ends of the arched portions 13 merging into short approximately flat neck portions 14 which integrally join the slitted and offset portions of the strip with the intermediate arched portions.

A pair of adjacent wires .A are then inserted crosswise between the central portion or tongue ll and the side or body portions l2 at the respective ends of these portions, inthe manner clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 9; and the parts 11 and l2 between the wires A are then further subjected to the action of compression dies, by which they are returned into the common plane of the original strip, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. As a result of the two operations upon the strip before and after the wires are inserted, substantially semicircular seats 1l and 19. are formed at the ends of the members ll and 1Q, respectively, in which the wires A are very securely clamped and held against lateral displacement, as will be manifest by reference to Fig. 2. The intermediate arched portions 13 increase the stiifness and rigidity of the spacing strips, and prevent bending or bowing of the structure in a direction transverse to the wires. tending to cause the structure to maintain its plane form under considerable loads. At the same time, where the structure ismade in considerable length, as for fencing or concrete reinforcement, it can manifestly be rolled upon itself in the direction of the wires.

Finally, in the most complete and preferred form of the invention, the assembled structure is subjected to the galvanizing bath, or an electroplating operation, by which a thin metallic coating or covering, indicated at C in the enlarged views, Figs. 3, l and 5, is applied thereto. The principal object of this coating is to fill the joints and cracks, and particularly those at the intersections of the wires and spacing strips, thus substantially integrating the complete structure and considerably increasing its total strength and rigidity. This treatment further serves to render the structure rust-proof.

Manifestly the structure may be made in any dimensions desired as to length and width; the drawings merely illustrating a fragment suflicient to disclose the structural characteristics which characterize the article regardless of the size or form in which it may be made. As hereinbefore stated, the structure is well adapted for a considerable variety of situations and uses, and hence I desire to claim the same broadly and without'any reference to the particular uses to .which the structure maybe put.

I claiml. A fabricated metallic structure of the character, described, comprising spaced parallel members, and spacing strips disposed transversely of said members, each of said strips having at spaced intervals lengthwise thereof integral offset tongues between each of which and the body of the strip an adjacent pair of said members are seated and rigidly spaced by a depressed portion of the tongue between said members.

2.y A fabricated metallic structure of the character described, comprising spaced parallel'm'embers, and spacing strips disposed transversely of said members, each of said strips being longitudinally slitted at spaced intervals lengthwise thereof, and the parts laterally adjacent to each slit being formed to scat, grip and space an adjacent pair of said members.

3. A fabricated metallic structure of the character described, comprising spaced parallel wires, and spacing strips disposed transversely of said wires, each of said strips being longitudinally slitted atspaced intervals lengthwise thereof with the portions adjacent the slits oppositely offset to receive a pair of wires between them, and the parts of said offset portions between the wires of each pair being pressed into a common plane to grip and space said wires.

4. AA fabricated metallic structure of the character described, comprising spaced parallel wires, and generally flat spacing strips disposed transversely of said wires,each of Vsaid strips at spaced intervals lengthwise thereof being divided by parallel longitudinal slits into a central portion and two side portions, said central and side portions being oppositely offset and at their ends seating a pair of wires between them, and the parts of said central and side portions between the wires of each pair being disposed in a common plane.

5. A fabricated metallic structure of the character described, comprising spaced parallel wires, and spacing strips disposed transversely ofsaid wires, each of said spacing strips formed at spaced intervals lengthwise thereof with oppositely offset portions each seating and gripping a pair of wires, andthe portions of said strips between said .pairs of wires being transversely arched.

6. A fabricated metallic structure of the character described, comprising spaced parallel wires, spacing strips disposed transversely of said wires and formed with oppositely offset portions between which said wires are gripped and spaced, and a metallic coating covering and substantially integrating said wires and spacing strips.

ARTHUR A. BERNDT. 

